Safari Me / Boon Docking Question

[cire]

Hello Winnieowners.com!

I'm looking to gain a little more runtime out of my single group 24 lead-acid battery while boon docking in my 2021 2100bh. I'm hoping to increase my runtime capacity by somehow connecting this Safari Me power inverter to my trailer.

https://lionenergy.com/products/lion-safari-me

My thought process is to:

1) Use an Anderson connector and 10ga wire and connect the Safari Me 12vdc output directly to the pos/neg of the battery.
I figured although the unit wouldn't fully charge the battery, it could at least provide a little more runtime with a click of a button. In addition to this the Safari unit would be powering my 120vac electronics. Do you think a dc to dc charger is needed for this solution?

2) Install a disconnect switch and utilize the Safari Me run the dc electronics (heater fan, lights, exhaust fan etc.) in place of the battery.
I'm not sure where this disconnect would be installed yet, but do you think it would be an issue if I used 10ga wire from the Safari to the disconnect, and then factory dc wiring to the rest of the trailer?

I'm open to alternative solutions as well. Just looking for something simple that would allow me to boon dock for 2-3 days in 15-40 deg F temperatures.

Thanks for your help in advance!

[creativepart]

This seems like you're trying to use the a wrench to drive in a nail. And paying a premium for it.

For the price of this device you could buy a 100 aH Lithium Group 31 battery, a small inverter and a quiet inverter generator and still have money left over.

The way I read the Safari info it is attempting to be a "solar generator" to produce AC current. It's not intended to be a 12v battery (even though that's what it is mostly made of).

Don't use a wrench to do a hammer's job. Just get a LiPo battery, small inverter and quiet portable generator and be done with it. then you can boondock for ten times as long.

Of course, you realize multiple days of temps in the teens and twenties will create a whole different set of problems.

[cire]

I love your analogy lol.

The appealing part of the Safari unit is that it is versatile and simple. I guess being new to travel trailer camping I may be over thinking it. I'll research the solution you mentioned since I can still return the Safari setup.

As for camping in cold weather, I was told the 2100bh could handle overnight freezing temperatures to a certain degree as long as it heats up during the day and my heating unit maintained 55+ deg F. To my understanding the underbelly is sealed with insulation and the water tank has a heating element.

Thanks for the advice!

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by cire

As for camping in cold weather, I was told the 2100bh could handle overnight freezing temperatures to a certain degree as long as it heats up during the day and my heating unit maintained 55+ deg F. To my understanding the underbelly is sealed with insulation and the water tank has a heating element.

Yes, you can handle overnight freezes - what you can't handle is teens overnight followed by high 20's the next day for multiple days.

Yes, there is some covering under everything - except the dump valves and piping - but it's not insulation and it's not hard sealing. And yes running the LP furnace will circulate warm air around the tanks. But don't be overly confident in all of that. A little freezing is fine - but 30+ hours below 28 can be another story.

As a new RVer you just need to not believe too much of the hype. There are places on every RV with little or no protection and the pipes in the walls are not well insulated.

Two to three days with 40 degrees during the day and the LP heater on you should be fine.

[BobC]

I agree with creativepart. And, even if you don't go the lithium route, two golf cart batteries and a generator will take you a long way for a lot less money. You could even add some solar and still have money left over, if you DIY. We boon docked and dry camped in our TT for years with 200W of solar, two golf cart batteries and a Honda 2000i generator.

The Safari Me is going to run down fairly quickly, especially if you use it to run 120V appliances. 922Wh sounds like a lot but that's only about 77Ah in terms of 12V battery capacity (922/12 = 77Ah), comparable +/- to two typical Group 24 batteries since the LiFePO4 batteries can deliver close to 100% of their rated Ah capacity, whereas lead acid are only good for 50%.

Units like the Safari Me are all over the market, some are well-built and effective and others are not. Will Prowse has reviewed and taken apart several in videos at his YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoj...q8kmJme-5dnN0Q

I don't see where he's reviewed the Safari Me, but he has reviewed the Safari LT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuvtJy0OWbA&t=281s

[cire]

Thanks for the feedback and support guys. I'm returning the Safari Me to Costco's tomorrow and looking into the solution you guys recommended.

Have a Happy Halloween!

[BobC]

Good decision. Let us know if you need more info and let us know how everything turns out.

[cire]

Do you guys know where I can download the electrical wiring diagram for a 2021 Micro Minnie 2100bh?

Thanks again,

[BobC]

Originally Posted by cire

Do you guys know where I can download the electrical wiring diagram for a 2021 Micro Minnie 2100bh?

Thanks again,

I suggest you call Winnebago. For some reason they don't publish the wiring diagrams, etc. for the towables online like they do for their motorhomes. Hopefully they can email you what you need.

Good luck.

[cire]

Darn. I'll call them on Monday and see if they're willing to share it.

Thank you!

[Old Navy]

Originally Posted by cire

Do you guys know where I can download the electrical wiring diagram for a 2021 Micro Minnie 2100bh?

Thanks again,

While the Motorhome owners can sometimes get drawings specific to their coaches, us TT owners are pretty much ignored by the factory. Here's a drawing that is probably about as close as you are going to get:

https://www.winnieowners.com/forums/...ml#post3843866

On my trailer, the "breaker" marked "auto reset breaker" is just a ground connection.

[cire]

Thank you Old Navy!

I'm surprised a Winnebago mechanic hasn't shared shop drawings anywhere on the net. I'll try reaching out to my sales guy to see if his service department can share it.

[thataway4]

Agree with those above, that you can buy a real solar setup for less, or better yet an inverter generator, with effective batteries. The Li ion batteries make sense, if you need light weight, high capacity in a small space, and are going to frequency boondock and keep the unit 10 or more years (Thousands of cycles of use).

You mentioned #10 wire--that is way undersized for any use with much power. It depends on the length of run. See Blue seas site on choosing the correct wire size as well as information on fusing circuits:

http://https://www.bluesea.com/resources/1437

Also acquaint your self with sites such as "battery university". http://https://batteryuniversity.com.

Buy a digital volt meter and learn how to use it. It will repay itself during the first electrical crisis. I feel that these RV systems are fun to design and work with--but they must be robust and reliable.

[Elkman]

For solar all you need is a low capacity MPPT controller like the Blue Sky one selling for $240.

https://www.amazon.com/SB3000i-Solar.../dp/B076MQM7PW

Add a 170 Wattl panel to the roof and it will keep your battery going indefinitely and charge the house battery even when you are parked.

A very good source for parts and information and complete kits for RV's is AMsolar.
https://amsolar.com/rv-solar-panels-complete-kits

Use 6 gauge wire to make the run from the roof to the battery and there are lots of junction box / glands that you can use for the roof penetration. You can crimp the terminals or use the solder type that Delcity.com sells and the pellets are heated with a propane torch and makes for far better connection than crimping and no special tools is needed.

I would also measure the compartment and see if a larger battery will fit. I replaced a Group 27 in my RV with a Group 31 with no mods needed.

[cire]

Thanks for the links and support guys!

Quick update - Christmas came early and I have a lot of work to do this weekend to prepare for my Thanksgiving trip. The plan is to try a single Battle Born 100ah battery in conjunction with a generator. I'll upgrade the battery bank in the future depending on how well a single battery performs.

- Battle Born 100ah battery (These bad-boys are PRICEY!)
- Renogy 2000w pure sine inverter
- 1/0 red/black cabling
- battery monitor BMV 712
- surge protector
- Champion inverter propane/gas generator

[Old Navy]

Looks like a great system. Careful not to push too much on the inverter before you get a 2nd battery, as 2000W is more than one Battle Born can handle for more than a short time. Which Champion Genny? I have a pair of the 2KW, but not the dual fuel version.

[thataway4]

Congratulations on the "Christmas present". You need a battery charger, unless the converter is already set up for a LIFePO4 battery. What is the converter charger that your trailer has? Also be very careful with wire size, and proper fusing. There is a lot of power in those batteries. I would want a robust switch to completely turn that battery off.

I had purchased a 300 amp Chinese copy of a German battery switch. When it was first loaded with about 100 amp draw, it melted down with very spectacular results. Fortunately no fire. If you buy a switch it needs to be well made and take the load. You need to fuse the circuit between the inverter and the battery, with the 1/0 cable, you will be putting the inverter and battery fairly close together. Again, check the Blue Seas site I referred you to.

Old Navy makes an excellent point--the current draw from a single 100 amp hour battery should not exceed 100 amps. That would be roughly 1200 watts, or many microwaves, toaster ovens etc. I have two 100 amp hour batteries to run a microwave, with a Victron 2000 watt inverter/80 amp charger. I run this off a Honda EU 2200i. for charging--also a DC to DC charger from an alternator.

[cire]

You guys all rock! I'm glad I posted this before installing it, although the doll-hairs are increasing haha!

@Old Navy - My generator is the Champion 3400 dual fuel model. I figured it would be more than sufficient to run my camper in the summer. It's super quiet for a generator, especially on eco mode.

I bought the 2000w inverter with the future plan of expanding to solar and increasing my battery bank. I don't plan on drawing much load until that happens. I'm guessing I'll draw 500w max.

@thataway4 - I assumed my camper was equipped with a charger capable of charging a LIFePO4 battery. That said, I'm not sure if it is or where the converter charger is even located, I'll dig into that this weekend. To my understanding, without a specific LIFePO4 charger the battery will still charge, but it will not reach 100%, is that accurate?

I planned on placing the battery directly in place of my existing lead acid M24MF battery. I've read that some people had issues when charging these batteries from the tow vehicle. Is there anything special I need to install to ensure my vehicle alternator or electronics doesn't burn out? I understand DC to DC chargers are a thing, but how would one tie it into the trailer connector from the truck?

The link below is the battery disconnect I planned on placing between the battery and inverter with 1/0 wire. As of right now I don't plan on running any large 120VAC loads. It'll consist of a TV, coffee maker, laptop and camera chargers. The primary draw from the battery will be 12VDC through the factory 6ga wire to throughout the trailer. This consists of the LED lights, exhaust fan, water pump, and heating fan.

I didn't plan on altering the factory disconnect from the battery to the trailer. Do you think this needs to be changed?

I've read that the Renogy inverter is fused internally. Do you recommend I install another inline fuse from the battery to the inverter?

https://www.amazon.com/Ampper-Batter...4543370&sr=8-4

[Elkman]

You may need to use jumpers for the wires to the MPPT when adding solar panels. These devices are made for home or farm use and with 200+ volts and so smaller gauge wire can be connected to their posts. A 4 inch jumper of 12 gauge wire can be used as the distance is too small to impact current flow from the panels or to the batteries. 10 gauge wire is the smallest that you want to run from the engine compartment of the tow vehicle to the trailer for the power lead and at the engine you want a relay so the trailer's appliances, etc. cannot drain the vehicle's starter battery.

[tinglett]

Originally Posted by cire

That said, I'm not sure if it is or where the converter charger is even located, I'll dig into that this weekend. To my understanding, without a specific LIFePO4 charger the battery will still charge, but it will not reach 100%, is that accurate?

I'll bet your 2100BH is the same as my 2108DS. Look under the fridge to the left of the furnace and you'll see a little black door that swings open. All your breakers and many of your fuses are here. If you have a WFCO 8955, you can see how I replaced the guts of it for LiFePO4 batteries in this thread: https://www.winnieowners.com/forums/...iv-359008.html